It was an exciting weekend in London topped with the debut of Rockready. Jason How of Rotosound introduced the Rockready Volo gig bag, Snap Strap, and Ultrastrap to a receptive crowd at Bass Day. More on Rockready in a minute.

The highlight of the show were 3 crowd stopping appearances at the Rotosound booth by Doug Wimbish, Mark King, and Billy Sheehan. Each signed autographs for long queues of waiting fans. The attendees were also treated to master classes by Doug, Mark, and Billy.

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Mixed in with all the artist excitement was Rockready’s debut. Rotosound will distribute exclusive the Rockready line for the UK.

The Rockready line — designed by musicians for musicians — looks to innovate some everyday tools that musicians use. First up the Volo gig bag which addresses many issues with some simple and elegant solutions. Dedicated phone pocket that’s easy to reach, place to keep your keys, backpack style straps for comfort with a chest clip for long treks, reflective piping for nighttime safety, locking zipper for security, neck holder, body protector, and the list goes on. There is also an optional Tote bag with dedicated iPad or tablet pocket perfect for breaking out of session or one it’s own.

Shipping Options:

The proliferation of used or vintage instruments and gear being sold online through the various outlets like ebay, reverb and criagslist has the average musician becoming a mini-shipping center. I’ve become intimately familiar with how the different carriers work. I’ve used USPS, FedEx, and UPS to ship packages and I’ve learned a few things about how to maximize your buck.

Step 1 – Where to start – THE BOX

This may be the most important step. The right box is the difference between a boring delivery (like a boring plane ride!) or a nightmare. The average guitar box dimension is 40x16x8. The average bass box dimension is 50x20x8. That size box will accommodate a gig bag or hard shell case with copious amounts space for bubble wrap and/or stryo-peanuts. The rule of thumb is: ‘if you think you have used enough packing material….keep going’.

This is a Taurus Amp I shipped in the wrong box. Believe it or not it still worked!

Because of that, you must package your items well. The last thing you want to do is file a shipping claim. The communications with the buyer and the courier can take many hours out of your life. If your claimed is denied you may have to refund the buyer and now you own a damaged instrument. Who needs that?

You may ask, ‘where do I find the right box? The best place is your local guitar shop. They receive and discard boxes every day. Also if you every receive a guitar or bass bass box you should save it for a rainy day. Recycling is also the most responsible thing we can do for our planet!

19″ rack mountable pro audio needs the appropriate box as well. In fact, you’ll add point$ to your sale if you advertise, “in original box with all box candies”. Rack ears have a tendency to get bent during shipping without the proper box and packing. I save all of the packing peanuts and bubble wrap that I receive for future packaging. The rule of thumb here is, ‘can the unit survive a shoulder height drop?’

Step 2- Which courier should use – UPS, FEDEX or USPS?

That depends on so many factors.

Damage Control: Each situation is going to be judged by your dynamics in your area. For some people their local USPS mail carrier may the worse choice because of mishandling of over worked employees. For others, the same holds true for UPS or FEDEX. So by trial and error you’ll figure out which service works best for you in your area. Many times the buyer will request you don’t use a particular service. Usually that’s because of their personal experiences.

Price: When it comes down to price it’s pretty hard to beat USPS. They are pretty much always going to be less expensive than UPS or FEDEX. I personally find that USPS-Priority Mail is my “go to” choice. Cross country shipping is killer. I do a lot of shipping to the Left Coast and USPS is by far cheaper.

How do I ship? – ground or air: This depends on how large/heavy the package, what’s the value is and how far it’s going. If its really large or heavy (like a 410 bass cabinet) USPS-Parcel Post may be the best way. Warning: It’s a really SLOW service. I have seen an instrument take 10 business days to be delivered intra-state. Don’t expect accurate tracking until the package arrives at the buyers post office for local delivery. If it’s really expensive then it’s definitely going in the air. Likewise if it is a small package going cross country then it’s in better off in the air.

International Shipping: Again this is a case by case scenario. Some countries like China or Japan have very strong mail options. While the mail doesn’t work very well in some countries like Italy. Other countries in Europe still have a strong DHL presence. It’s always best to give your buyer a shipping quote.

Courier Relationships – If you are going to be ‘faithful’ to a particular courier then it’s best to setup an account. This will allow you to get better discounts and print labels on line.

Step 3 – Do I insure?

Always, every time. In most cases the buyer is paying for shipping. Just work the insurance price into the freight cost. If you are paying for shipping just bite the bullet. USPS insures automatically up to certain $ amount. I implore you to insure no matter what.

The Bottom Line:

Shipping like a pro is not that difficult. My mission statement is that I ship in manner that reflects how I would like to receive a package. It’s about details and communication. I always forward tracking # ASAP to my buyers. This is just a professional courtesy I extend.

Keep in mind that you can do every thing right and a package can still be damaged or lost. So don’t forget, Sleep Well……. INSURE EVERYTHING!!!!!!

To Recap:
+ Use recycled packing materials and pack my items extremely well so that there’s no rattling at all.
+ Use the best carrier and service for your particular dynamic. Cost v.s. Time v.s. Damage Possibilty
+ Share tracking #’s ASAP
+ Always insure

We’re are always looking for the next BIG thing, the new trend, THE hot product. Whatever you like to call it, it’s out there waiting to be discovered. After putting together our shared notes from the NAMM show we realized that we might already have that product!

The StompHead from Taurus, the originator’s of the new “floor amps” category, breaks the “where to put your amp rule” and has started what we believe will become an industry leading revolution. The advantages of having your amp where you can see it and control it are obvious and coupled with our stomp design completely upends conventional thinking. Never before have guitar players had this much control of their sound in such a small, light and portable package.

The Revolution starts now!

Osiamo, the company that has forwarded the micro pedal revolution into the collective musical consciousness, is now championing the StompHead.

Randall Amps and BluGuitars have already responded and introduced their own take on the genre. And there is a rumor that TC Electronics (always late to the party) is about to jump on the band wagon as well.

The SIMPLE Reasons why you need a StompHead from Taurus.

Small. Easy to fit next to your pedal board on stage.

Ingenious. Proprietary design includes tube and tube modeled power section.

Mobile. Easy to pack for Fly dates or gigs around town!

Powerful. And Loud. Up to 70 Watts of power!

Light. Won’t break your back.

Ergonomic. Your tone at your feet, always.

Oh, and we saved possibly the best reason reason for last : The StompHead won’t break your bank account. Starting at only $399 for our 1.BL on up to our Flagship 4.SL and 4.HG that both crank out an amazing 70 watts of tube power while boasting tons of professional and studio class features like line out with speaker sim, voltage selector (115V / 230V), channel switching, effects loops, power brake to 40 watts, cabinet impedance selector, and the list goes on…

Did you attend the 2015 Winter NAMMM show? If not let us wrap up what’s new and improved with the Osiamo Music Gear family of brands.

Rockready Takes NAMM 2015 By Storm!

Coming soon from Rockready a full range of gig tested guitar accessories for the performing musician. First up, the Rockready Aereo gig bag, available in guitar and bass versions. Neal Walter received some great feedback about the bag from NAMM attendees.

Dealers ask us about exclusive territories

Available March 2015!

The Compdriver : New from Dr J!

The “COMPDRIVER” is a signature pedal of Dr J endorsee, Jose de Castro. This new Dr J pedal combines an overdrive and a compressor effect. With the two 2-way switches you can control the position of the compressor (before or after the overdrive), or you can turn it off. The tone of the overdrive was sculpted with Jose’s input. The overdrive is very clear and rises above your band when you kick it in!

The Dr J Pedal Lover Amp

“Pedal Lover”, a new Tube Amplifier, by compact pedal master Dr. J, specially designed for pedal users for use in small space occasions. With excellent tone reducibility and compatibility the Pedal Lover Amp can embody the tone of pedals and electric guitar at a very high level. Elegant white appearance makes it easy to co-ordinate with home decor perfectly.

The amp uses a CLASSIC A circuit design and the cabinet a Celestion Vintage 30 speaker giving excellent performance, and clear tone and distortion. There is no need to worry about neighbors knocking on your door. By using a switchable output power between 3.5W and 1W you can get outstanding tone at any volume. Best choice for compact pedal users!

Mooer Introduces the Micro Looper

The Mooer Micro Looper pedal packs 30 minutes of recording and unlimited overdubbing into a micro pedal size! The foot switch can be used to select record, play, stop, layer recordings, and delete recordings.The Mooer micro looper pedal is constructed with a full metal shell and is powered by a DC 9V adapter power supply (not included).

Music was always in the first place. My head was full of sounds served by Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple, Black Sabbath, Wish Bone Ash, David Gilmour and others. It was really hard to get decent music gear in Poland back in the 80’s – I had some knowledge and ideas, those two factors combined lead me to my first projects. It seems this project was good enough, so other musicians started asking me if I can do another units for them.

Do you play an instrument?

Yes of course. I am a guitar player. I don’t think I would start doing amps otherwise.

What’s the strangest request you ever received (besides this bloody questionnaire)?

There was a lot of strange requests and demands in over 30 years of Taurus history, but to be honest strangest are coming from my head. That is why Taurus offers devices like Stomp-Heads that are far beyond “tradition” of guitar heads. I am always trying to push my own limits to create something unique, something that I would like to have as a musician.

Who are some of the more famous Taurus Users and Endorsees?

I am proud to say that a lot of great musicians put their trust into Taurus, and it is really hard to list all of them. For sure it is worth to mention people like Nathan East, Al Di Meola, Wojtek Pilichowski, Marcus Miller or Wes Borland, but I have same respect and positive energy for all of those who choose Taurus as a tool in their artistic journey.

What’s coming up in 2015 for Taurus?

When it comes about new projects we are planning to enhance Stomp-Head guitar amplifiers family with brand new Stomp-Head 1 and Stomp-Head 5. Also we are not going to forget about bass players, so we will launch double channel Vandall-300 head and probably new line of bass combos. In 2015 we will be also focused on promoting the brand and our flagship products – Stomp-Heads in USA and other parts of the globe!

What was your initial inspiration the led to creating Pedals?
I think most of brand of effect pedal in China are just following some bad fashion. They use some cheap and inferior component and low the price. And I want to make some pedals that more exquisite, special, adjustable, and with humanization design, regardless of the cost.

You play guitar, tell us, what’s on your pedalboard?
I love playing guitar! I love every kind of sound from the instrument and what it can create with a band. And I always think deeply about the every type of instrument and their tone. I know how important they are and what they sound like.

There are all Dr.J pedals in my pedalboard, and I will even use the D53 Sparrow Bass DI on some occasions. And I also have a lot pedals from other brands like DOD、BOSS、OKKO、LOVEPEDAL、BARBER、WAMPLER and so on.

What’s the strangest request you ever received (besides this crazy interview)?
Actually, there is not much request that would let me feel strange. (I’m strange enough :) ).

Who are some of the more well-known Dr J users and endorsees?
We have Jose de Castro plus many others.

What’s coming up in 2015 for Dr J?
It is a business secret :) , but I promise there would be something we take serious.

Have you ever plugged your guitar into your pedal board, through a long cable and into your amp and felt like you lost some high-end from your tone? If so, your tone might benefit from the addition of a buffer pedal to your signal chain. Plugging directly into the amp through a short guitar cable gives the “purest” tone you can get. But once you add longer cables and patch cables and pedals to your signal chain that’s when you start losing high-end clarity.

Why A Buffer Pedal?
Nearly every guitarist that uses long cables or lots of pedals can benefit from the addition of a buffer pedal. But a buffer is often overlooked or just misunderstood by many guitarists. In short, all guitar cables and patch cords have capacitance. When you add this to your signal chain it’s like rolling down the tone knob on your guitar. We’re not too good on the science behind this (I switched from Electrical Engineer to liberal Arts for a reason) but we can still hear it with ours ears. Basically a buffer pedal can help you get your sound back to the “pure” tone when using just one short cable.

Where Do To Use A Buffer?
Anywhere you have long cables and/or lots of patch cables. The 2 most obvious choices are before and after your pedal board. A buffer in each of those locations will minimize your signal and tone loss at those 2 locations in your signal chain.

Why We Like the Dr Armor Buffer
The Armor Buffer has 2 buffer circuits: one designed to use in front of your pedal board and one designed to be used after. The Dr J Armor Buffer will buffer your signal while in the pedal board and again while it’s going to your amp. You can use both buffer circuits or just one or the other. Plus, even though the Armor Buffer looks big in this picture, it actually has a nice small foot print. It’s not as small as a micro pedal but it is smaller than a standard Boss or MXR pedal. Dimensions are (H x W x D) 38 x 96 x 88mm or 1.5 x 3.75 x 3.5 inches to be exact.

Another Reason to Like the Dr J Armor Buffer
The Armor Buffer also has a Boost circuit built into it. This is good for boosting your signal through your chain and hitting the front end of your amp a bit harder. If you have vintage pickups with low output you can use the boost circuit to emulate a higher output pickup or you can use the boost to give your clean tone a bit more bite. Remember, the boost circuit doesn’t color your tone, it just adds up to 20dB to your signal or you just get the sound of hitting the front end of your amp a bit harder.